Excavating and conveying apparatus for starch.



D. M. WILD'ER.

EXOAVATING AND CONVEYING APPARATUS FOR STAROH.

nruonm: rum) mm a1, 1913.

4 SHEETS--SHEET 1.

D. M. WILDER. EXCAVATING AND CONVEYING APPARATUS FOR STAB-CH. APPLIGATION FILED JULY 31, 1913.

1,102,376. Patented July 7, 1914.

4 8HEET8-SHBET 2.

n. M. WILDER. EXGAVATING AND CONVEYING APPARATUS FOR STABGH.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 81, 1913.

' Patented July 7, 1914 4 SHEETBSHBBT 3- D M. WILDER. EXGAVATING AND CONVEYING APPARATUS FOR. STARGH.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 31, 1913.

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1 and useful Improvements in and onveying Apparatus for UNITED STATES PATENT orrron.

DENZIL M. WILDER, OE SHABBONA, ILLINOIQ.

EXCAYATING AND CONVEYING APPARATUS FOR STARCH.

Application filed July 31 1913. Serial No. 782,237

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July *2. 1914;

To (ll/I whom it may concern Be it known that l, DENZIL M. Winona; citizen of the United States, residing at Shabbona, in the county of Dekalb and State of Illinois, have invented certain new Excavating Starch, of which the following is a specification.

. This invention relates to improvements in an a poratus to be used for handling starch in tlieprocess of the manufacture of the same, and it consists in certain peculiarities of the construction, novel arrangement and operation of the various parts thereof, as will be hereinafter more fully set forthand spwifically claimed.

As is welllcnown to those skilled in the art to which my invention pertains, it is the usual practice in the process of manufacturing and preparing starch for use and the market to deliver the starch water of suitable consistency to long settling tables of trough-like or tray form, in which the starch settles, and is ooinn'ionly shoveled therefrom, manually, onto suitable conveyers located parallel with and between said troughs or tables, by means of which conveyers it is carried to and dumped into receptacles for further treatment. The foregoing manner of shoveling the starch is comparatively slow, tedious, expensive and laborious, and it is one or" theobjects of ny invention to provide an apparatus for handling starch which is adapted for use on the aforesaid settling troughs or tables and in connection with c'onveyers of the above named type, if desired, without any material chan e in such equipment. which shall be simple and inexpensive in construction, strong, durable and efficient in operation, by means of which the starch can be removed from the settling troughs onto the conveyors with a great saving inltime, labor and expense. v

A further object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of the above named gen eral character, which can be readily transferred from one trough to another, and

will dig up, excavate and convey the starch from the trou h on which the apparatus is located. in sn-i a manner as to deposit it on a conveyer on either side of the tr:

to provide i l Still another o t l for regulating the stwlzes of the hoes or diggers of ma hine.

Various othei s lccts end sdventagjges oi" is hetweeziwi the invention will be disclosed in the subomed description and explanation.

In the accompanying drawings, which serve to illustrate the invention-Figure l is a view in side elevation of a portion of a settling trough with my apparatus for handling starch mounted thereon ready for operation, and showing at the rear ends of said apparatus a portion of an adjustable 5 chute for transferring the starch to a con-- veyer on either side of the settling trou lg.

Fig. dis a plan view of like parts; 3 1s a view taken on line" 3-3 of Fig. 2,

looking in the direction indicated-by the arrows; showing parts in section and parts in elevation; Fig. A is a front end view of the apparatus, showing the trough in section, and Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows, and illustrating a part of the mechanism used for regulating the strokes of the hoes or diggers of the apparatus.

Like. numerals of reference refer to cor- 5g the starch, on which my improved'-appag5 ratus is mounted, for the purpose of removing the same therefrom. This trough, as

well as the others, (not shown) of the series of parallel troughs of a starch factory, on

one or both sides of which may be located in parallelism therewith a conveyor (not shown), has upright sides 11, the upper surfaces of which form rails ortraoks upon I which the wheels .12, of thefmmwi the apparatus may travehand theinner surfaces 95 or walls of said uprightsprovide retaining 'Walls for the starch solution or liquid,

As is clearly shown in the drawings, the frame of the apparatus includes two upright side pieces 14, which are secured toget' in parallelism by means of transverse-tie rods 15, preferably located at or near each of the corners of said side pieces, which latter are so .cod as to be locatedat their lower portions near the ini'ier surfaces upright sides ll. of the settling trough it), yet in such manner as to be mo ed tl 1e H, of the Q downward and for ion 16, on the lower no extensions is ner of the .1Q5

roller or small wheel 13, to travel on the floor of the trough 10, near its side walls.-

may have motive power supplied thereto through a suitable connection, in any wellknown manner (not shown).

Mounted on the driving shaft 19, of the motor 18, between the latter and the side 14 of the frame adjacent thereto is a gear 20, which meshes with a gear 21, mounted on one end of a crank shaft 22, which transversely and horizontally journaled in the sides 14 of the frame, and which in the present instance is shown as being of the duplex or double crank type, but it will be under stood that said crank shaft may have one or a plurality of cranks without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Mounted on a stub shaft 23, which is extended horizontally from the side 14 of the frame on which the motor 18 is mounted, and rearwardly of the latter, is a gear 24, which also meshes with the gear 20 on the driving shaft of the motor. ()n the outer portion of the shaft 23, is mounted a beveled gear 25, for the purpose to be presently explained. An upwardly and-rearwardly inclined shaft 26, which is journaled at its lower ortion in a bearing 27, supported on the si e 14 of the frame which carries the motor, has slidably, but non-rotatably mounted thereon, a sleeve 28, which is pro- .vided with an annular collar 29, at about its middle, for engagement with the forks 30 of a lever 31, which is suitably fulcrum ed on the side 14 of the frame. Rigidly mounttion of the shaft 26 is jonrnaled in abracket 34. extended laterally from the upper portion of the side 14, which carries the motor, and is equipped on its upper end with a beveled gear 35, which meshes with ai'beveled. ear 36, onthe adjacent end of a shaft 37, w ich is horizontally and transversely journaled on uprights 38, of a frame 39,

mounted on the rearupper portion ofthe sides 14 of the frame. The opposite end of the shaft 37 has mounted thereon a beveled i gear40, which meshes with a beveled gear 41, on the upper portion-of a screw threaded shaft 42. Near Jthe beveled gear 36,- the shaft 37, has mounted thereon a beveled gear 43, which meshesjvwitli a beveled gear on the upper portion of a screw threaded shaft 45, which latter shaft as well as the ,through vertical slots ed. on the sleeve 28, near its lower end is ashaft 42, has threaded engagement with blocks 46, mounted on each end of a trans verse rod 47, which is extended horizontally 48, in the sides 14 of the main frame near their lower ends. The lower ends of the shafts 42 and 45 are swiveled in suitable bearings 49, one of which is extended laterally and outwardly from each of the sides 14, of the franieand to below the slots 48 thereon.

Extended forwardly from" the front por" tion of the side 14 of the frame opposite that onwhich the motor is mounted isa horizontal arm 50. on'the front end of which is mounted-'11 stub shaft 51, which is provided on its inner end with a sprocket wheel around which is passed a sprmket chain 53. which engages a sprocket wheel 54, on one end of a sh ft 55, which is horizontally journaled on no lower portion of the extensions 16 of the frame rearwardly of the wheels or rollers 13 thereon. The shaft 55' is equipped with a number of radial arms 56,'which are of sutiicient length. to almost touchor scrape the bottom of the trough,

ul'ui together with the shaft 55, constitute what I shall term a kicker.

As shown in Figs. 2 and 4 of the drawings. the arms 56 of the kicker are alter nately arranged at right angles to one another, thus providing means to thoroughly move the starch backwardly and onto-the conve 'er after the starch has been du up by the hoes, as will be presently explained. ()n the outer end of the shaft 51, is mounted a sprocket wheel 57, around which passes a sprocket chain 58 .which also passes over a sprocket wheel 59, mounted on the crank shaft 22, outwardly of the side 14 of the frame opposite that-side on which the motor is mounted. Mounted on the-crank shaft 22, externally of the wheel 59, is another wheel 60, around which passes a sprocket chain (1, which also passes around a sprocket wheel 62, mounted on a stub shaft (33, extended horizontally and outwardly from the last named side of the frame. The stub shaft 63 carries a pinion 64, which meshes with a gear 65, mounted on one end of a shaft 66, which is transversely journaled on the rear portion of the sides 14 of the frame at the lower part thereof. Near the inner surface of each of the sides 14 of tl ei'framex the shaft 66 has mounted thereon asprocket wheel 07, over which pass conveyer orlsprocket chains 68. which chains.

also pass over sprocket Wheels (39, mounted on a shaft 7 0, transversely journaled on the lower portion of the extensions 16, of, the sides l 4, hut rearwardly and below the shaft 55, which carries the kicker arms. The

sprocket chains 68, also pass over sprocket wheels 71. mounted on a shaft 72, which is transversely journaled on the rear and upper portions of a pair of extensions 73 or arms, one of which is extended rearwardly and upwardlydrom the lower portion of each of the sides 14- of the frame. Each of the arms 73 is provided at its upper end with a depending bracket 74-, which are united by a cross piece 75, to which a cross piece 76. on the upper part of a chute 77, is swiveled, so that the'chute, the mouth of which extends below the upper of'discharging portion of the conveyer chains 68, may be turned to eitheaside, in order to guide the starch from the conveyer of my apparatus to the ordinary conveyers, which, before stated, are located longitudinally on the sides of the trough. The chains 68,. may be provided with any suitable conveying or carrying material, but in the present i'n'- stance I have shown them as being united by means of slats 78, which are spaced a slight distance apart so as to allow them to pass around the sprocket wheels which support them. The chute 77, may be made of any suitable material and of any preferred eonstruction, but, as before stated, is pref erably swiveled on the cross bar 75, of the supporting arms 3, so that it can be turned to either side oi the trough.

Pivotally mounted on'each of the cranks of the crank shaft 22, between its ends, is an arm or handle 79, each of which has in its rear portion an elongated slot 80, for the reception and operation of the transverse rod 47 which, as before stated, is adjustably mounted on the screw threaded shafts 42, at the rear portion of the-frame of the apparatus. Each of the; arms or handles 79, has on its front end a hoe 81, usually of broad flat type, as is clearly shown. These hoes are employed to dig up the caked starch within the trough, and in their tedder action will throw or move the starch rearu'ardly toward the kicker arms 56, which in turn will cause it to pass onto the conveyer 78, by means of which it will be carried rcarwardly and upwardly between the sides [4. of the frame and to be deposited into the chute 77, which may be manipulated as dcs red to deposit the starch at either side of the settling iIUlgIll on an ordinary conveyer (not shownl.

From the. foregoing and by reference to the drawings. it will be readily understood and clearly seen. that the crank shaft 22, will be driven through its gearing with the motor 18, and that as said shaft is geared to the kicker shaft 55, the last named shaft will be rotated in the proper direction. thus moving the starch rearwardly and upwardly onto the convcyer 78, which conveyor is also driven through its gearing with the crank shaft. As the handles or arms 79. are pivotally mounted on the cranks of the crank shaft, and loosely mounted on the shaft 47, it is apparent that in the rotation of the crank shaft the hoe equipped arms 79, will be given vertical and reciprocal movements, the reciprocation of said arms occurring at the uppermost and lowermost parts of the strokes of the hoes thereon, thus causing said hoes to not only act diggers. but also as scrapers for moving the starch rearwardly or toward the kicker.

In order to regulate the stroke of the a rim 75), and hoes 81 thereon, the lever 31, may be moved in the proper direction so as to cause the sleeve 28 to slide on the shaft 29. and thus throw either the beveled gear 32 or 33, as may be desired, into mesh with the beveled gear 25, which is driven through its gearing with the motor.

It is manifest that as the frame is equipped with wheels or rollers 12 and 13 respectively, which travel on the trough, the apparatus can be easily rcciprocatcd on the latter in the proper direction, and manually if desired.

\Vhile I have shown and described my invention in one of its embodiments, it will be understood that various changes may be made without departin from the scope of the appended claims; or instance. l may employ one or -more of the hoe equipped tedder acting arms, or may make various other changes without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Havin thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- 1. An apparatus of the class described including in combination a frame, a hocequipped-arm mounted on said frame for vertical and reciprocal movement at its front end, a vertically adjustable rod trans ersely and horizontally mounted on the frame and ha ing loose connection with said' arm. means to vertically adjust said rochand means to operate said arm.

An apparatus of the class described including in cmnhination a frame, a plurality of hoe-equipped-arms mounted on said framefor vertical and reciprocal movement at. their front ends, a vertically adjustable rod horizontally and transversely mounted on the frame and ha ing loose connection with said arms, means to adjust said rod, and means to operate said arms.

3. An apparatus of the class described including in combination a frame, a plurality of h e-equipped-arms mounted on said frame for vertical and reciprocal movement at their front ends, means to regulate the stroke of said arms, a conveyor carried by the frame and extended upwardly and rearwurdly from the front lower portion thereof, a kicker shaft transversely journaled on the. frame in front of the forward portion of the couveyer and having radial arms thereon. and means to operate the lIOQ-CQUlPPOd'KIHIS, the conveyer, and the kicker shaft simul taneously.

' 4. An apparatus of the class described includi in combinationa -frame, a hoet equip'pedmrm mountedon said frame f0 vertical, and reeiprocal movement at its front end, to regulate the stroke of said arm, acnnveyer carried by the frame and extended 1i wardly and rearwardly" from the lower ront portion thereof, a kicker shaft transversely jonrnaled on the frame 'in front 'fthe forward portion of the con shaft transversely journaled thereon, means to drive said shaft, a plurality of hoeequipped-arms pivotally mounted 0n said crank shaft and having Iongitudlhally extended slots in their real ortions, a rod horizontally and transversely mounted; for vertical adjustment on the frame and extended through said slots, aeonveyer carried by the irame'a'nd extended upwardly and rearwardly from, the from lower portion thereof, a rotary'kicker transversely jonrnnled on the frame in front of the forward,

portiodd the con veyer, and gearing uniting said kicker and eenveyer.

DENZIL M. WILDER. Witnesses:

H. W. Yomm, C(P. HALMM. 

